Jim Musser's shows to see this week

Sep. 25, 2012

Nellie McKay

CSPS Hall, 1103 Third St. S.E., Cedar Rapids

7 p.m. today, tickets $30

A ridiculously oversaturated Thursday night kicks off with this effervescent, London-born singer/songwriter whose relative youth (28) is belied by her affection for and command of pre-rock pop, cabaret, show tunes, torch songs and sultry jazz. Her gossamer, breathy vocal delivery can be disarming; her lyrics often suggest a cutting, dark interior that’s drawn favorable comparisons to Randy Newman, yet she’s perverse enough to have recorded 2009’s “Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day.”

Stew & The Negro Problem

The Mill/”Club Hancher”, 120 E. Burlington St.

Two Shows: 7:30 p.m. (all ages) and 10 p.m. today, tickets $10 to $27

Mark “Stew” Stewart won a Tony and a New York Drama Critics Award for his autobiographical musical “Passing Strange.” More recently, Stew and Heidi Rodewald ended their romantic relationship, then collaborated on a darkly beautiful, high-concept art-rock CD about it, “Making It.”

Commissioned by Hancher’s Iowa City Omnibus Project, Stew returns to perform his cerebral, sly and penetrating original music with local musicians.

BTW, Ellis and Cave have collaborated on three straight mind-blowing soundtracks for director John Hillcoat’s “The Proposition,” “The Road” and “Lawless.”

Dark Dark Dark open.

Grand Funk Railroad w/Matt & Kim

Pentacrest Lawn

Friday after UI Homecoming Parade, free admission

Dinosaurs once ruled the earth, and they’ll be here Friday, getting closer to your homecoming. Grand Funk Railroad was none of the words in their moniker, but “Mark, Don & Mel” WERE first-rank volume dealers.

Don and Mel thump on with GFR, but Mark’s been replaced by a guy from .38 Special, a guy from KISS and a Silver Bullet Band-ster (which sounds about right).

With modern pop/dance duo Matt & Kim.

The Iowa Opera House Project

CSPS Hall, 1103 Third St. S.E., Cedar Rapids

8 p.m. Saturday, tickets $12 advance/$15 door

Conceived last year by Iowa City singer/songwriter Sam Knutson (Shame Train, solo) after a visit to the What Cheer Opera House, IOHP is a loose conglomeration of musicians dedicated to bringing attention to beautiful old (often restored) Iowa theaters.